Golf tee



Oct. 28, 1930. R. TRANE 1,779,995

GOLF TEE Filed Aug, 13, 1928 Ry. TRfANE.. @nvm/fw Patented Oct. 28, 1930 PATENT OFFICE RAYMOND TRANE, OF OMAHA, NEBRASKA GOLF TEE Application led August 13, 1928. Serial No. 299,311.

My invention relates to game apparatus, and particularly to tees for golf balls. It is the object of my invention to provide for golfers a tee device which may be readily carried by the player and used for all tee shots, thereby eliminating the use of sand tees. In the playing of golf it is desirable that the height of tee be uniformly and exactly suited to the kind of club with which the shot is made, and to the style and preference of the individual player. Each player will usually require tees of two different heights, namely, a low tee for use when driving with irons, and a higher tee for use with wood drivers; and, for special conditions, as when driving with or against the wind, it may be desired to slightly varythe height of the tee. My invention provides in a single structure a low tee of fixed height, and a high tee of which the height may be varied or adjusted to suit the preference of the player.

An ob'ect of my invention is to provide a tee of adjustable height above a base member which lies flat upon the ground, whereby the height of the tee is not dependent upon the driving of a stem, prong or other retaining device into the ground, or dependent upon the placing of sand or the like beneath the base member. A further object of my invention is to provide a tee having anchoring means which may be engaged with the ground at such a distance from the tee proper that when the latter is struck by the club-head while driving the ball therefrom, the momentum imparted to t-he tee may be expended in causing a spinning motion thereof about said anchoring means.

A structure embodying my invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which Fig. l is a longitudinal vertical sec tion of the device, Fig. 2 is a plan view thereof, and Fig. '3 is an enlarged vertical section through the adjustable tee.

In carrying out myV invention according to the illustrated embodiment thereof, I provide a flat base or strap member 5 which is preferably slightly wider at the center than at the ends, and said ends of the base member are integral with the tubular frusto-,conical nipples 6 and 7. At the center of the base member is a circular, thickened, reinforcing portion 8, through which is a small central opening adapted to receive the anchoringpin 9. Said pin has, preferably, a wide, flat head 10 which extends over the top of the reinforcing portion 8, said head 10 facilitating the pressing of the pin into the ground, whereby the base member is pivotally secured or anchored, and permitted to have a spinning motion about the vertical axis of the pin.

The nipple 6 is proportioned to form a low tee upon'which a ball A may be placed as shown in Fig. l, for driving with iron clubs. The nipple 7 is made slightly higher than the nipple 6, and provides, for a ball placed directly thereon, a tee slightly higher than that formed by the nipple 6. The opening through the nipple 7 is threaded to receive adjustably the threaded stem 11 of a tee member having a cupped head 12 which extends slightly above the end of the nipple when the stem 11 is screwed therein to the maximum depth, at which the lower end of said stem is flush with the bottom surface of the base member 5, as shown in Fig. l. If a tee of greater height is desired', the stem 11 may be rotated to partially withdraw the same from the nipple, and thus to raise the head 12 to a position such as shown by the dotted lines in Figs. 1 and 3.

All parts of the described structure, except the anchoring-pin 9, are formed of iexible material such as rubber, and the pin 9 may be merely an ordinary roofing nail. A nail of this type is preferred because of the wide, flat head thereof which enables the player to press the same into hard ground by placing his foot or heel upon said head.

In the use of the device the player has the choice of any height of tee within the range of adjustment of the tee member 12, and also of the two fixed heights provided by the nipples 6 and 7 when the tee member 12 is removed fron the latter. As before mentioned, the low tee 6 is usually preferable for iron. shots, and would be used therefor except underspecial conditions, as where it might be desired to impart more than ordinary loft to the ball. For most players, the desired height of tee for shots with wood clubs is obtained b the use of the tee member 12, which may be a justed to suit the individual preference, and such adjustment retained except for unusual conditions. Under all conditions the player may determine or select the helght of tee which it is desired to use, making the adjustment of the device when necessary, before placin and anchoring the same upon the groun and may thus be assured of having a tee of definitely predetermined height. By varying the helght of the adjustable tee, the player may determine by experience the exact height which is best suited to his swing under normal or average conditions, and may then continue the use of the tee at such height,

his game being thereby improved, both by reason of the uniformity of tee-height, and because of the confidence created by the as- Y surance of such uniformity.

By the anchoring of the device in the manner shown and described, striking of the tee by the club-head, while driving the ball therefrom, will cause merely a spinning motion of the device about the anchoring-pin, so that the tee will not be otherwise moved from its position, and the attention of the layer will not be distracted from the fiight o the driven ball by an movement of the tee in the direction in which the ball is driven.

Now, having described m invention, what .I claim and desire to secure y Letters Patent 1s:

A olf tee comprisin a at, elongated base mem r of pliable rub er having at one end thereof an integral upwardly extending tubular nipple adapted to directly support a olf l t ball at a position elevated above said ase member, saidftubular nipple being interiorly screw-threaded, and a tee member of pliable rubber comprising a concave head and an exteriorly screw threaded stem for removable engagement with the screw thread of said nipple and adapted to be adjusted vertically to diierent ositions at which the concave head is adapte to support a golf ball at positions above the upper end of the nipple, the threads of the nipple and the stem bein iexible and frictionally holding the tee mem r in its adjustment against displacement relative to the base member.

RAYMOND TRANE. 

